OFFICER NOMINATIONS

There are two offices in the Presbyterian Church in America (our denomination) to which candidates may be nominated and elected: namely, elders and deacons. The elders are responsible for the government and spiritual oversight of the church, including teaching. Only those elders who are gifted and called by God to preach, who are also seminary trained as well as approved and ordained by a PCA presbytery, may serve as “teaching elders.” Those elected by churches to aid in the governance and leadership of the church are called “ruling elders.”  Deacons serve the spiritual and physical needs of the people, as well as oversee the maintenance of all church property. In accordance with Scripture, these offices are open to qualified men only (see 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1).

  • Each officer (elder or deacon) at SBCC serves for a three-year term and then automatically rotates off for a year of inactive service. Having rotated off, an officer may then be re-nominated and go back through training and then be re-elected to serve another three-year term following his year of inactive service.

  • A nominating committee is formed and is composed of nine voting members:

    • The Leadership Team 

    • Three Active Teaching Elders

    • Three Active Deacons

  • In March of each year, the congregation is notified that the nomination process has begun. The congregation is encouraged to prayerfully review the biblical qualifications (I Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9, and I Peter 5:1-4) and then make their nominations, either by submitting names online or by calling the church office to request a paper ballot. 

  • In April the nominating committee is to prayerfully review the names submitted by the congregation with a view toward the formation of a slate of nominees who, in the opinion of the nominating committee, meet the biblical qualifications found in I Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9, and I Peter 5:1-4. Those who may be viewed as leaders in other walks of life may or may not meet the biblical qualifications of a church officer. The committee must also consider the needs of the congregation and the duties of officers as outlined in the PCA Book of Church Order. 

  • After the committee makes a list of potential nominees, the committee will invite the nominees to an Officer Orientation Meeting, where they will be challenged with the expectations of being an officer at SBCC and to prayerfully consider if they are willing to serve and if they believe that God is calling them to serve.

  • In June the slate of nominees is presented to the session for provisional approval and once approved they participate in 4 months of officer training..

  • Following successful completion of training and a successful interview with the Session, the election of officers by the congregation takes place in December.

  • After election, the new officers are ordained (if they have never served in the particular office to which they have been elected) and installed as active elders or deacons to begin their three-year term of service in January.

For whom are we looking?

Calling: Officers should possess inward and outward motivation. A candidate should desire to serve and needs to be recognized by others as possessing the gifts and graces necessary for the task. 

Character: Officers should be gospel-centered Christians—leaders who are growing spiritually, who are appropriating the gospel of Jesus Christ, and who eagerly desire to see the gospel change people’s lives. Though no church leader is perfect, he must be exemplary, modeling in a consistent way the character of Christ and displaying the Fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 6. Because character is cultivated through spiritual disciplines, officers must commit themselves to Scripture, prayer and sacraments with great regularity. 

Competency: Officers should be mature believers who know the Scriptures and are able to teach the Scriptures to others. They should have a pastoral heart and be comfortable praying with people in need. They should be visionary leaders—not “micro-managers”—who can both guard and expand the church’s theological vision. 

Comprehension: Candidates need to understand and accept StoneBridge’s convictions about theology, worship, sacraments, and church government. They are required to assent to the Presbyterian and Reformed theological tradition by subscribing to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. 

Compatibility: Officers should be "team players" who wholeheartedly embrace the vision and philosophy of ministry of StoneBridge Church Community. This should already be evident through regular worship, sacrificial giving (tithing as a minimum guideline) and service to the congregation.

Other Qualifications for Candidate:
Candidates need to be a member of SBCC for at least 5 years before serving.
They must be willing to attend the four month officer training process.
They must receive multiple nominations.